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Whether you're walking a tightrope or scribbling in your checkbook, balance is a good thing. And, one of the best ways to evaluate a company is to glance at its balance sheet to see what it owns with what it owes.
The balance sheet is a paragon of simplicity and is made up of three components: assets (the stuff it owns), liabilities (the money it owes), and shareholders' equity (the company's value to its shareholders).
Assets take two forms: short-term (or current) assets and long-term assets. Under short-term, there¿s good ol' hard cash. Then, there¿s something called "cash equivalents," which are assets like short-term bonds that can be sold so quickly, they might as well be cash. There you factor in inventory, which (if you're a reasonably competent business owner) you can sell to customers in return for--you guessed it--cash. (The raw materials a company owns to make that inventory also falls under this category.)
Long-term assets are things that are harder to convert into cash. (Think real estate and equipment.) Long-term assets depreciate, meaning they lose some value over time. Also under the long-term category are what's called intangible assets: things like patents and brands, that are important, but hard to quantify. Accountants earn their stripes figuring out the real overall value of these assets.
Once you know your assets, it's time for liabilities. As with assets, liabilities are separated into short-term or current, and long-term. Current liabilities are what a company owes in that year: Things like payments to employees or accounts payable to suppliers. Long-term liabilities are debts paid over several years.
Shareholders' equity is determined by subtracting the liabilities from the assets. That number represents the value of the company after all its bills are paid.
Obviously, investors should pay close attention to balance sheets. Spikes in the amount of debt carried, or a reduction in shareholders' equity, are usually red flags.
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Monday, July 07, 2008
Three Ways to Stop Cell Phone Spam
Marshall Loeb
MarketWatch
NEW YORK--Much like everything else, spamming has gone mobile. It used to be that you could expect your email inbox to be assaulted with unwanted messages. Now your phone can fall victim too. Even if you don't pay for text messaging, you can still receive unwanted solicitations.
So how do you prevent your phone from being spammed? From the August 2008 Consumer Reports magazine, here are three tips:
Take immediate action. Once you receive a spam message, call up your carrier to complain. It may be able to offer a quick fix. You can also check your cell-phone account online. It may be that your email or messaging settings are not at the highest level of protection. Most accounts will let you block unwanted messages or, at the very least, block messages that may pass as spam.
Join the National Do Not Call Registry. You can register your cell phone at www.donotcall.gov. This is a free registry that allows you to get off telemarketer's list of numbers to contact. It should take about a month on the registry before you stop receiving spam altogether.
Beware of downloads. Just as with your computer, some downloads can prove hazardous to your phone's health. Certain ring tones and games from third parties can open you up to increased spam and even identity theft.
Copyright © 2008 MarketWatch, Inc.
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